Marathon Petroleum Corporation $MPC Stake Raised by MQS Management LLC

MQS Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MPC) by 278.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 5,621 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 4,135 shares during the quarter. Marathon Petroleum accounts for about 0.6% of MQS Management LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. MQS Management LLC’s holdings in Marathon Petroleum were worth $1,083,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Versor Investments LP increased its stake in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 10.6% in the third quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 4,214 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $812,000 after acquiring an additional 403 shares during the period. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. boosted its holdings in Marathon Petroleum by 0.8% in the third quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 14,580 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,810,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. Candriam S.C.A. grew its position in Marathon Petroleum by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 21,888 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,219,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Ipsen Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Marathon Petroleum during the 3rd quarter valued at about $222,000. Finally, RFG Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Marathon Petroleum by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 7,179 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,384,000 after buying an additional 678 shares during the period. 76.77% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Marathon Petroleum Price Performance

Shares of NYSE MPC opened at $204.16 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a current ratio of 1.32. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $178.04 and a 200 day moving average of $181.63. The firm has a market cap of $61.37 billion, a PE ratio of 15.29, a PEG ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 0.74. Marathon Petroleum Corporation has a one year low of $115.10 and a one year high of $206.45.

Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The oil and gas company reported $4.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.73 by $0.34. The business had revenue of $35.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $30.89 billion. Marathon Petroleum had a net margin of 2.99% and a return on equity of 14.00%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.77 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Marathon Petroleum Corporation will post 8.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Marathon Petroleum Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th will be paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 18th. Marathon Petroleum’s payout ratio is 29.96%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MPC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen cut Marathon Petroleum from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 20th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $216.00 to $205.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 26th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $198.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $205.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Marathon Petroleum from $202.00 to $194.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Marathon Petroleum presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $202.19.

Marathon Petroleum Company Profile

Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: MPC) is a U.S.-based downstream energy company engaged principally in the refining, marketing, supply and transportation of petroleum products. The company was formed through a spin-off from Marathon Oil in 2011 and operates an integrated system of refining and logistics assets that support the production and distribution of transportation fuels and other refined petroleum products.

Marathon Petroleum’s operations include refining crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and other specialty products, as well as managing the distribution and storage infrastructure needed to move those products to market.